The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-19

To the Editors Of the Appeal;
Brunswick, TENN, April IS In tn,
hurried interview between your re
porter and myself, it was but natula
that some little inscCu acies should
occur. Fer instance, / did not mt a
that Q. g. Hughes WAS Justice at the
time the canal fraud was ordered, al
though it is correct that he took al
active part in getting it through by
petition and personal influence.
spoke Of him % Justice Hughes,
for he is now Justice, and hence
know the inference was naturally
made by the reporter that he was
member of the court at the time
But Justice Wellborn cannot exoueJa G
himself, for he was a member of the
court, living In this district. He was
a member sitting in the court when !
said it wa job that could benefit bu,
one individual, and not the public.
He was one OF the Justices OF the
Peace appointed TO let out and super
intend tue work. Why didn't he
enter his protestP Does he de.
fend the job now1 Can he2
He says Justices Cox and Jones
had the measure passed. The
records of the court are open for in
spection. l refer him to the order
appointing Justices from this, the
Eighth, and First Districts TO examine
the work that was to be done that Vas
set forth in that wonderful petition.
Cox and Jones cannot speak. We can
get no voice from the tomb, and for
tunste, indeed, that a record is left
thai can speak and no mistake. JUS
tice w. says II the court is as blame
less in all else as Justice Hughes In
that ditcbing we are all right. Would
he have the people believe that the
County curt, as q body, Is jobbing
all over the county, What bigger
jobs than the 500 Job are praoticed
upon the people2 II the Justice is In
position to know, and does know, then
as a servant Of the people, and one OF
our forty public guardians, will he
come out boldly and either repudiate
or defend the expenditures Of the
court 2 Our people are depressed with
personal debt, and they cannot stand
useless waste of public revenue nor
a dollar more Of taxation.
/ do not cay that al OF the court
are corrupt and designing men. In
the main they are honest and want to
do right, but their method is wrong.
They suffer themselves to be imposed
on. They are not firm and vigilant
enough. Thele is also too much Of
the 81 tickle You and you tickle me"
in the court. This opens the way
for jobs to get in. A public servant 81
least needs to be as watchful of the
peoples interests as of his OWL, and a
quick sense of duty will make him
more SO. I would not do anyone ill.,
territorial injustice rs TO the work
around BruBsw ok nor elsewhere, but
if all the justicly will DO as Justice
Hughes declared he would do after
being beaten for Poorhouse Commits
aior or, that ia, in future promise o be
"a peoples magistrate" it may be
wall. do not know whether by this
he intended to imply that he had not
been "a peoples magistrate" up to that
time, but it was certainly good reso.
luton to make for the future.
The people will ssk for bridges
when they are needed, and If there ia
merit in the request for public ex-
penditure it can and will be so shown
that the action OF the court will find
public sentiment to sustain 1t. Any
citizen who is at all alive to what is
going on in our county affairs cannot
fail to hear OF many little socalled
"public expenditures" "remitting of
taxes" compromising Of officers"
etc., that he knows at least TO a moral
certainty are only private jobs. These
90 through simply to please some
friend.
l have said now more than I in
tended to say, but not tenth Of what
many others with myself know to be
instances of the Encouragement Of
our county affairs. The APPEAL never
better work for the people
Of Shelby county than when it throt-
lies this monster system of abuse and
strikes hard at the head and source of
wrongs we have patiently endured al
ready too long. W. H. BOND.